Bristol Riverside Theatre to Present LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, 5/6-6/8

Bristol Riverside Theatre concludes its 2013-2014 season with the popular cult classic Little Shop of Horrors by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman on May 6-June 8. Directed by Susan D. Atkinson, the ensemble cast features Berlando Drake, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Laura C. Giknis, Nate Golden, Daniel Marcus, Andrew McMath, Candace Thomas, Danny Vaccaro, and Lindsey Warren.

Previews begin Tuesday, May 6 with opening night on Thursday, May 8. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday until June 8. Tickets start at $42, with discounts for students, groups and military personnel. Tickets are available by visiting brtstage.org or calling the BRT Box Office at 215-785-0100. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street in Bristol, PA.

Little Shop of Horrors is a comedy horror rock musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The music, composed in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour".

Susan D. Atkinson (Director) theatrical career spans 40 years of directing and producing on both the east and west coasts. She has directed well over 150 plays and musicals in her career, including world and area premieres from such playwrights and composers as Doug Katsoras, Mark St. Germain, Jon Marans, Alan Knee and Larry Gatlin. For BRT, Atkinson has directed such shows as Tuesdays with Morrie this season and What A Glorious Feeling and Inherit The Wind last season as well as The Good Earth, Wintertime, Irma La Douce, Alive and Well, The Price, 110 in the Shade, A Sunbeam, Inspecting Carol, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Arsenic and Old Lace, A Little Night Music, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Holiday, Talley's Folly, Proof, Little Women, A Raw Space and Steel Magnolias. In 1998, Atkinson directed Larry Gatlin's Texas Flyer both here at BRT and at Theatre Under The Stars in Houston, Texas.

Berlando Drake (Ronette) played the lead in Baby It's You, for which she was a NAACP nominee. She has also been featured on television on Conan and The Morning Show as well as in several short films.

Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Plant) was nominated for a Barrymore Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won a Barrymore Award for Best Ensemble for Theatre Horizon's production of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He was also nominated for a Barrymore Award for Best Ensemble for 11th Hour Theatre Company's production of Avenue X. In addition to appearing in the world premiere of Eclectic Society at the Walnut Street Theatre, he was seen in Ragtime and Blues in the Night, both at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.

Laura C. Giknis (Audrey) was last seen at Bristol Riverside Theatre in Steel Magnolias and Up. She has appeared as Chiffon in the 11th Hour Theatre Company/Theatre Horizon production of Little Shop of Horrors as well as in their production of Reefer Madness. Recently starring as Sandy in Grease at the Walnut Street Theatre, where she also appeared in Hairspray, other local performances include productions at Arden Theatre Company and People's Light & Theatre Company.

Nate Golden (Puppeteer) has been a frequent guest at the Walnut Street Theatre in Grease, A Christmas Carol, It's A Grand Night for Singing, The Mousetrap, and Miss Nelson is Missing. He has also appeared in Altar Boyz at Papermill Playhouse, and Big River,The Secret Garden, The Miracle Worker, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, all at Theatre on the Lake.

Daniel Marcus (Mushnik) appeared in London in Paradise Found and on Broadway in Pal Joey, Urinetown! The Musical, 1776,Woman in White, The Pirates of Penzance, and A Christmas Carol, as well as in the national tour of Cats. Off-Broadway he has performed at New York Shakespeare Festival, Barrow Street Theatre, and Encores. His regional credits include productions at Barrington Stage, Pioneer Theatre Company, Phoenix Theatre Company, Florida Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and Cleveland Playhouse.

Andrew McMath (Seymour) has starred at Mac-Haydn Theatre in The Fantasticks, La Cage Aux Folles, and Bridgadoon, and at New London Bar in Hello Dolly and Hairspray. A graduate of the Hartt School, he has been a two-time featured soloist with the Hartford Symphony.

Candace Thomas (Crystal) reprises the role she played at 11th Hour Theatre Company/Theatre Horizon. She has also starred at Theatre Horizon in Spring Awakening and appeared in several of 11th Hour Theatre Company's Next Step readings. She is a graduate of Ursinus College where she was awarded the Wayne F. Millward Memorial Prize for Achievement in Theatre.

Danny Vaccaro (Orin) appeared on Broadway in La Cage Aux Folles and starred in the national tour of The Diary of Anne Frank. Regional credits include several productions at Barter theatre including leading roles in Sweeney Todd, Singin' in the Rain, and The Last Five Years, as well as productions at Goodman Theatre, Fulton Opera House and the Walnut Street Theatre.

Lindsey Warren (Chiffon) makes her Philadelphia area debut with this production. She has appeared in Kiss Me Kate andShowboat at MUNY St. Louis, in Hamlet at St. Louis Shakespeare Festival and as Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors at Maples Repertory Theatre, as well as in several productions with Disney Cruise Line.

Little Shop of Horrors brings together a creative team of Scenic Designer Jason Simms, Costume Designer Linda Bee Stockton, Lighting Designer Charles S. Reece, and Sound Designer Adam B. Orseck.

Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 68 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by Theatre Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts. Currently under the direction of Artistic Director Keith Baker, Founding Director Susan D. Atkinson, and Managing Director, Amy Kaissar, BRT concludes its 27th season. For information, visit www.brtstage.org.

Friday Festival on Friday, May 9 at 7 PM will include complimentary wine, hors d'oeuvres, and dessert, with a guest speaker to discuss the show.

Wine Down Wednesday on May 14 at 6:30 PM will include Crudités, dessert and wine complimentary of Got Wine?.

Thirsty Thursday on May 22, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, will allow patrons to enjoy snacks and beer, courtesy of Cold Spring Beverages.

At Theatre Theology on Sunday, May 25, Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg will discuss Jewish themes in Little Shop of Horrors following the performance.

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